they will provide debt relief to puerto rico. the bill would create a seven-member fiscal oversight board to assist the puerto rican government in managing its $70 billion in debt. later on today in the house, they'll take up the fiscal year 2017 legislative branch spending bill. live coverage of the u.s. house now on c-span. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by our guest chaplain, reverend kent clark, grace pontiac -- grace church, pontiac, michigan. the chaplain: our god, our father, we call upon your name, a name at which every knee shall bow. your name is wonderful, counselor, mighty god, everlasting father. you are the prince of peace, the rose of sharon, the lily of the

valley and the bright and morningstar. you are the fairest of 10,000. you are the great creator god. alpha and omega, beginning and end, first and last. your name is redeemer and the lord, the way, the truth, and light. bread of life, author and finisher of our faith. we know no greater judgment could befall a nation than for it to be deserted by god. left to be the play thing of malignant forces. speak to us oh great jehovah. we know a sparrow does not fall without your notice and we know that a nation cannot rise without your aid. the name of jeshua, jesus safes, emanuel, god with us -- jesus saves, emanuel, god with

us, amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved. >> mr. speaker, pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, i demand a vote on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> i object on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this erequest are postponed. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from michigan, mr. walberg. mr. walberg: i invite my colleagues and guests in the gallery to join. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and .ustice for all

the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from michigan, mr. bishop, is recognized for one minute. mr. bishop: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today very proudly so to pay tribute to an inspiring man and i'm proud to call him a mentor and a friend, pastor kent clark. pastor clark is senior pastor of grace gospel fellowship church in pontiac, michigan. grace centers of hope is one of michigan's leading faith-based organizations that provides care for the homeless and individuals fighting addiction. grace centers of hope provides comprehensive programs for men, women and children, including group and individual counseling, g.e.d. classes and testing, financial education, addiction and abuse classes and childcare. they also have a self-funded homeownership program and offer graduates of their program the opportunity to own their own home and they do all this without accepting government

funding. pastor clark truly has a servant's heart and he and his wife, dr. pam clark, and their family have dedicated their lives to helping those in need. with unparalleled commitment and devotion. pastor clark is a pastor, husband, father, grandfather, and author and michiganner of the year. welcome pastor clark as our guest chaplain today and want to personally recognize and thank him for his tireless efforts and unwavering dedication to our community. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan yields back the balance of his time. the chair will entertain up to 15 further one-minute requests on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. johnson: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from texas is recognized for one minute. mr. speaker, it's

my pleasure to rise in support of the third district allen american hockey team. tonight, our team defends their ellar title in the kelly cup playoffs. i want to congratulate the whole team on an outstanding season. you have all accomplished so much to get to where you are today. you're just one victory away from your fourth straight championship. to all our fine allen american athletes, i want you to know that your hometown is proud of you and that we believe in you. i'll probably be rocking the red to cheer you on. go, beat the wheelers. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the

gentleman from california is recognized for one minute. >> norfolk, virginia, january 1, 2014. melvin astrin, 32 years old. arcus durling, 32. sailorsburg, pennsylvania. james la guardia, 64 years old. david fleetwood, 62. jerrord, 63. beaumont, texas. darrell hawkins, 34 years old. anthony ray hawkins, 33. rashanna hawkins, 30. savannah georgia, december 2, 2015, brandy counsel, 34 years old. mr. peters: oceanside, california, march 13, 2013. edgar sanchez rios, 16 years old. melanie vergan, 13 years old. myrtle beach, south carolina, may 24, 2014. jamie williams, 28.

andy gladys barnwell, 22 years old. devonte, 20 years old. texas, february 22, 2015. larry guzman, 40 years old. linda ferena, 41. dawn gifa, 28. auburn, washington, march 31, 2013, nicholas lindsey, 25 years old. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. peters: thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from california is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: mr. speaker, years of drought have left a terrible toll on the forest of sierra nevada in california, and the forest service estimates there are at least 40 million trees that have died in california alone. the scope of this challenge is almost unbelievable, and the danger presents its unavoidable. however, there are some steps we can take to address it. it's refreshing the forest

service is using the categorical exclusions under the farm bill to speed forest management projects. it won't be enough to prevent forest fires. the forest service should rapidly increase the number of public-private partnerships it engages in, allowing the private sector to remove the dead trees that are waiting for a spark. the senate should act immediately to pass h.r. 2647 and allow forest fires to be funded like earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters, ending the diversion of forest management funding that limits preemptive fuel protection work. we need to incentivize technologies like biomass and the usage of biomass which can make productive use of damaged trees and brush, etc., and generate long-term renewable power, base load and relyable power. congress should act -- reliable power. congress should extend funding to biomass plants that have the additional benefitsf consuming the wood than would

otherwise cause pollution. it would bring jobs back much needed in the rural part of america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman from california is recognized for one minute. ms. hahn: thank you, mr. speaker. last week the world lost a champion, muhammad ali was a gold medalist boxer and a three-time heavyweight champ but what truly made him the greatest was what he did outside of the ring. he had quick reflexes but a quicker wit. he was introduced to the world as a fighter but chose to hang up his gloves to stand up against the war. at a time when racism pushed so many people down, muhammad ali had the audacity to speak up and people listened. i was lucky to have met muhammed alli several times. he spent -- ali several times. he spent much of his time in los angeles and he became frensdz with my dad, sheriff hahn. i have a muhammad ali story.

in 1987 my dad suffered a debilitating stroke that left him partially paralyzed shortly before he was up for re-election to his 10th term. muhammad ali actually showed up at my parent's home in south los angeles one day and told my father that he would personally push him door-to-door in his wheelchair if that's what it took to get him re-elected. you can imagine what that meant to my dad, to me and to all the neighborhood kids who actually saw muhammad ali do that with my dad. i'll never forget that moment and i -- and the world will never forget muhammad ali. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> so speak for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from north carolina is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise with a heavy heart to pay tribute to captain bradley long, a fallen firefighter from my district.

r. mchenry: he started volunteering as a junior firefighter when he was 14 years old at fire and rescue department. he followed in his father's footsteps who fought fires for 25 years. and though he was a full-time firefighter with the newton fire department, he also continued to serve as a volunteer in terrell fire and rescue which is where he was serving when he died in a diving accident attempting to rescue a missing swimmer. following his death, captain long's father described how bradley loved what he did and loved helping people and that's what he was doing when he gave his life. captain long's an epitome of a public servant and will be deeply missed. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. castor: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore:

without objection, the gentlewoman from florida is recognized for one minute. . castor: mr. speaker, somewhere in america today there is a young person who all of a sudden realizes that he or she is gay. ms. graham: they're afraid if their parents find out they may be tossed out of the house, that their classmates will taunt them and there is still politicians who say that they are not equal. for years these young people didn't believe they had any options, but today because of the work of the lgbt community, because of leaders like harvey milk, they have hope. they can run for public office. they can serve in our military. they can marry who they love. they have hope for a better future. but there is still work to be done. across the country, including in florida, lgbt americans can still be discriminated against. that's why congress must pass

the equality act. we must pass it because it is the right thing to do. we must pass it for the young person who is still scared and struggling. we must pass it to give them hope. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr. wilson: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, this week south carolina pays honor and tributes the dedicated men and women of the south carolina state guard. the unpaid volunteers of the state guard are always prepared for challenging events in the community. they respond quickly to help families recover after natural disasters. the south carolina state guard was crucial during the flooding last october. this thousand-year flood devastated many neighborhoods. embers from all three brigades

of the state guard filled sandbags, assisted law enforcement. i was grateful to look at this firsthand, accompanied by representatives finley of columbia and chip of ermo. our citizens appreciate the command staff of the south carolina state guard for leading and inspiring these members. major general thomas mulligan, igadier general lott and major mark freeman. in conclusion, god bless our troops and our sympathy to the people of tel aviv as the latest victims of islamic terrorists. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. i express and join with the people of the city of memphis who are in mourning for the loss of another law enforcement officer. officer smith jr. served 18

years as a memphis policeman. he also served his country in the united states navy. last weekend, a man went wild in memphis and shot three different people and then had his car hurdling at a high speed in a wrong direction on a one-way street on at the intersection of beal and b.b. king. the officer tried to save people from tragedy. the officer was struck by the car and died. his funeral will be tomorrow. leaves behind a family, particularly two children and two stepchildren. his children, chelsea and verdell jr., his grandmother, his father and siblings. law enforcement put themselves in danger all the time for us to protect us. we appreciate their service. we mourn the loss of officer smith. a life of service. i yield back the balance of my

time. . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman from michigan is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today in recognition of the 150th anniversary of michigan' oldest theater, the crosswell opera house. it's one of the oldest continuously operated theater in the united states. mr. walberg: named for charles m. crosswell's, michigan's 17th governor, it hoped in 1876 and has played host -- in 1776 and played host for many throughout the years, including susan b. anthony and edwin booth. it has been restored to its original splendor. it's a gem within our community that continues to maintain its reputation as the epicenter for the arts in southeastern

michigan. please join with me today in honoring all of the -- those involved in the theater's fine tradition of excellence as we celebrate their 150th year anniversary. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentlewoman from illinois is recognized for one minute. >> this week we've seen a clear difference between our two parties. i would remind my colleagues that this is the year of 2016. it's not 1916, it's not 116. we as a nation have come so far. but there was a time when i as a woman would not have been allowed to vote, let alone speak on the froor of this chamber. ms. bustos: there was a time when our friends in the congressional black caucus or our friends in the congressional hispanic caucus also would not have been welcomed right here. but you know what, we are better than that. we know that the diversity of our nation makes us greater.

so whenever racism rears its ugly head, all of us, democrats and republicans, have an obligation to reject it. mr. speaker, i have been very disturbed to see so many of my republican colleagues trying to tiptoe around this offensive behavior of the new leader of their party, donald trump. i urge all of my creags to do the right thing and re-- my colleagues to do the right thing and reject racist policies, without any ifs, and, or buts. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today to applaud the impress i individuals who will be representing illinois' 18th congressional district at three f the most prestigious institutions in our nation, the

military academies. mr. lahood: they will begin their time at the -- at west point and the naval academy this summer. i was pleased to meet with them last friday and the talent among these seven is diverse. they are not only at the top of their class in academic achievement bus also excel in extracurricular activities. we have a state wrestling champion a hockey player who will be playing hockey at the air force academy and a competitive gl ofer who will be playing at the naval academy. most importantly, i was struck by their earnest commitment to serving our country. many come from a family with legacies of military service. we even have an aspiring navy seal and jag attorney in this group. i want to condition garage late, trevor, faith, august, morgan, thank you to these students for their commitment to our country and to their families for

raising them and to those in our illinois communities who have helped them reach this accomplishment. i wish them much success and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to congratulate a dear friend and mentor of mine, dr. allen wolfson, program director of the emergency medicine residency at the university of pittsburgh, for his retirement. he trained me in emergency medicine which benefited thes of patients i have cared for. mr. ruiz: among his over 360 trainees are several deans of medical schools and chairs of departments of emergency ned sin. he is so good and well respected by his peers that he has been recognized and honored by many prestigious organizations. he received the national

emergency medicine residents association residency director of the year award in 2012. he even wrote the premier textbook of emergency medicine he loves to teach, loves to mentor, loves emergency medicine, loves his residents and loves to have a good time. you trained me to be ap an advocate for my patients. i carry that can-do, problem-solving, patients first advocacy with me now in congress. first and foremost and always an emergency physician. congratulations and thank you. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from florida is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. we are in the midst of hurricane season. my constituents and all americans in coastal regions are susceptible to these devastating

storms. mr. bilirakis: disaster can strike at any time. . just days ago, my district was hit with -- by a tropical storm, colin. the winds and heavy rains were intense, causing dangerous flooding. it is important that we have a plan in place. we must all be prepared with supply kits filled with potential life-saving items like flashlights, radios and batteries. it is also crucial to follow local weather forecasts and heed any emergency warnings. the best way to guarantee safety is by thorough preparation. my website at bilirakis.house.gov as well as fema.gov both have important resources available to you. this year, be sure you are ready and safe. thank you, and i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek

rk in addition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. sanchez: nearly 47 million people are living in poverty in the united states. that's about 10 times the total population of los angeles. mr. speaker, no matter how hard these families work, and no matter how much these families save, they're still not able to get ahead. these families struggle to feed themselves and their children. they struggle to save, they struggle to live the american dream that we all yearn for. and that's unacceptable. that's why i support expanding programs which i believe help and provide a social safety net. essential programs like the supplemental nutrition assistance program. or temporary assistance for needy families. and the free and reduced lunch program.

which serves specific community needs. mr. speaker, we need to bring legislation to the floor that will help families. help families to help themselves get ahead. proven programs. let's not condense or cut them. let's work on legislation to help these families. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from georgia is recognized for one inute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise in support of h.r. 4775, the ozone standards implementation act. under the clean air act, the e.p.a. has used the national ambient air quality standards to impose costly and burdensome regulations on american manufacturers and the american people. mr. allen: by the e.p.a.

choosing to lower the naaqs standard further, many will struggle. american businesses have spent billions of dollars and years of planning to meet the 75 parts per billion original standard. and will now find themselves unable to meet the new requirements. we can't and shouldn't change the rules in the middle of the game. businesses across america and in georgia 12, like many paper mills and manufacturing plants that are economic drivers in our area, have already spent billions to make our air cleaner. h.r. 4775 ensure this is a states and counties have the needed flexibility and time to comply with these standards while keeping our air clean and safe. i am proud to support this bill and commend my colleagues in the house for pass it this week. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute.

>> mr. speaker, if i were to stand here today and read an agenda for a tax -- of attacks on immigrants, muslims, on women, on families living in poverty and even the judicial system, you might think it was the campaign platform of the candidate for republican president. mr. crowley: but every one of those hasn't just come from con man don. they have been embraced, confirmed and even inspired by this republican congress. you can be forgiven for being confused because they're one in the same. we're used to hateful rhetoric from the other side of the aisle,, sometimes it's masked in legislation and sometimes not so much. but when the lead over their party makes racist and discriminatory remarks as easily as reciting the alphabet, it begs the question -- what do republicans stand for? you only have to look at all they have in common with con man

dan. a candidate they have even -- con man don. a candidate they even admitted made racist statements. it's clear they stand with con man don. tu best also clear who they don't stand with, the american people. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair reminds members to engage from -- -- to refrain from engaging in personalities with presumptive candidates for president. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to acknowledge the 110th anniversary of the antiquities act. from the first national monument, devil's tow for the wyoming, designated in 1906, to the statue of liberty in new york and glacier bay in alaska, over 148 designations have been made by 68 presidents, most republicans. mr. o'rourke: while the last 110

years have arguably been successful for this country, we can do better. today's national monuments and the people who visit them do not reflect the great diversity of this country. that's why i ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the casa range national monument act. the range is in el paso, texas, it's 7,000 acres of pristine desert and builder rns. surrounded by a community that's 85% mexican american. the last 100 years have been great. i ask my colleagues to support me and join me in ensuring that the next 100 years are even greater. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. veasey: i'm calling on house republicans to denounce the hateful rhetoric coming from the leader of their party. week after week, house

republican, my colleagues, publicly announce their endorsement of donald trump. they aren't just endorsing the candidate, but also the hateful and discriminatory agenda set by their party's presidential nominee. house republicans cannot continue to support him and denounce his inflammatory rhetoric, including the demonizations of our friends that are hispanic and muslim at the same time. mr. speaker, it's time for republicans to step up, it's time for them to step up to the plate and do the right thing and denounce this big tri. you can't -- this bigotry. you can't pretend that the things your party's lead is saying aren't hurtful and divisive to the american public. mr. speaker, it's time to do the right thing, step up, come up with an agenda that's good for all americans and stop pretending as if the things that the leader of your party is saying isn't hurtful. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair would again remind

members to refrain from engaging in personalities with presumptive nominees for the office of president. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of they have u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on june 9, 2016, at 9:09 a.m., that the senate agreed to the house amendment to the senate amendment to the bill senate agreed to house request for conference, senate appoint conferees, h.r. 2577. with best wishes, i am, signed sincerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama seek recognition? mr. byrne: mr. speaker, by the direction of the committee on rules, i call up house resolution 770 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alabama is recognized for one hour. the clerk will report the

resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 122. house resolution 770. resolved, that at any time after adoption of this resolution the speaker may, pursuant to clause 2-b of rule 18, declare the house resolved into the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of the bill, h.r. 5278, to establish an oversight board to assist the government of puerto rico, including instrumentalities, in managing its public finances, and for other purposes. the first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. general debate shall be confined to the bill and amendments specified in this section and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on natural resources. after general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on natural resources now printed in the bill, it shall be in order to consider as an

original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of rules committee print 114-57. that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. all points of order against that amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. no amendment to that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution. each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the house or in the committee of the whole. all points of order against such amendments are waived. at the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the committee shall

rise and report the bill to the house with such amendments as may have been adopted. any member may demand a separate vote in the house on any amendment adopted in the committee of the whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a substitute made in order as original text. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 2, upon passage of h.r. 5278 the house shall be considered to have, ne, stricken all after the enacting clause of senate 2328 and inserted in lieu thereof the provisions of h.r. 5278, as passed by the house and, two, passed the senate bill as so amended. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alabama is now recognized for one hour. mr. byrne: mr. speaker, during consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

i now yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from florida, mr. hastings, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. byrne: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks . the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. byrne: mr. speaker, house resolution 770 provides for onsideration of h.r. 5278, the puerto rico oversight management and economic stability act, or promesa. it provides for a structured rule and makes in order eight amendments. this bill addresses a very serious issue as it relates to the financial situation in puerto rico. the government of puerto rico has raked up over $118 billion in debt. they've already defaulted on portions of their debt in may, and they face another deadline on july 1. the territory has reached a point where they can no longer meet the basic demands of their citizens. the constitution makes clear

that congress has the authority over territories. article 4, section 3, clause 2 of the constitution states that, quote, the congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the united states, closed quote. after hearing calls for greater autonomy, in 1950 congress recognized puerto rico's authority over internal manners through passage of the federal relations act. congress also approved puerto rico's constitution in 1952. so we gave them the control they demanded, and with that they attempted to become a liberal paradise by raising taxes, expanding government programs and spending at unsustainible rates. to help pay for these policies, puerto rico issued billions of dollars in bonded debt they can no longer pay back. now, they're demanding help which puts congress in a very

difficult position. the fact that we have reached this point is a direct result of the president and the treasury department being a sweep at the switch. they either were not paying attention to the financial situation in puerto rico or they were paying attention and chose to do nothing. i want to highlight a few important things about this bill. first, this bill is not a bailout. the american taxpayers did not create this problem, and we shouldn't send their money to something they did not cause. what really worries me if congress doesn't act on this legislation, then we will find ourselves in a position at some point facing serious pressure to vote on a true actual bailout of puerto rico. that would be a grave mistake. as the president of americans for tax reform noted in an op-ed for the national review, quote, congress needs to step in now. otherwise, a huge taxpayer bailout is the likely outcome.

promesa is the best, most fiscally responsible way to prevent a bailout from occurring, closed quote. this bill does not include a single penny in taxpayer money. in fact, the congressional budget office found that this bill would have, quote, no significant net effect on the federal deficit, closed quote. so let's try and get this problem resolved in a fiscally responsible way that does not use taxpayer dollars. second, the policies in puerto rico have led to this problem, so it is important the legislation addresses some of these policies and require greater accountability. the bill does this through the creation of a seven-person financial oversight board which is responsible for the development of budgets and fiscal plans for port week. the bill also -- puerto rico. the bill also includes commonsense policy changes that will hopefully ease the burdens on the puerto rican government by prohibiting the costly

overtime rule from taking effect and giving them flexibility with minimum wage requirements for young workers. through better oversight and regulatory reforms, it is my belief that puerto rico's economy can grow and the country can get back on a more stable financial footing, and i want to make one thing very clear. i and every member of this house has great empathy and appreciation for the puerto rican people because they did not cause this problem. i've had the honor of traveling to port week and visiting this beautiful place -- puerto rico and visiting this beautiful place. i enjoyed meeting the people and appreciating their hospitality. i believe it's important we do what we can in a responsible manner to support the puerto rican people. ultimately, i wish this legislation wasn't necessary, but the reality of the situation demands action. so i call on my colleagues to support this rule, support the underlying bill and let's address this problem in a responsible way without a bailout.

and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alabama reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i ask that i be yielded such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. hastings: thank you very much, mr. speaker. and i thank my friend, the gentleman from alabama, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate. the people of the commonwealth of puerto rico face an urgent fiscal crisis, and this institution's delay in addressing this crisis has left the united states citizens on that island in dire straits. in june of 2015, puerto rico's government stated that the commonwealth would not be able to pay its debts. now, puerto rico faces a $2 billion interest and principal payment on july 1. it is unlikely the commonwealth will be able to make this

payment. so i'm pleased that finally after a full year this body has decided that the citizens in the commonwealth deserve relief from this growing humanitarian disaster. however, now that legislation has been brought forward to deal with this issue, i fear that the solution to this problem presented here will hobble the workers of puerto rico for some time to come. while the bill accomplishes much by way of addressing the debt crisis in puerto rico, it also hamstrings workers by expanding the subminimum wage on the island. this legislation expands the application of the federal subminimum wage to those under 25 years old and extends the application of this subminimum wage to those workers from 90

days to up to four years. just for reference, the subminimum wage that will now be subjected to workers 25 years old and younger and for an four years is $4.25 hour. $4.25 an hour. a full $3 per hour less than the workers in the states make when indeed the workers in the united states ought to be making $15 an hour. the bill would also delay implementation of the department of labor's rule on overtime pay under the g.a.o. -- until the g.a.o. completes a study which could take up to two years. this means that under the provisions of this bill, the young people of puerto rico will be paid a subminimum wage and the rest of the workers on

the island will not be eligible for the new overtime rules, losing out on hard-earned money for working long hours. while some legislative solution is necessary in order to responsibly address puerto rico's debt crisis, these provisions are unconscionable. it is long past time that we start treating our fellow citizens in the commonwealth of puerto rico and that as well the district of columbia and the virgin islands and american samoa and guam and the marianas with dignity and respect, not with provisions to limit their ability to earn the same amount of money for their hard work as any other american. it's all right for them to go to war and die and they do in sometimes disproportionate numbers. but we don't want to see to it that they receive an appropriate wage. also disconcertaining to me is

what is -- disconcerning to me is what is not found in the bill and that is to address the zika virus on the island. the fiscal situation in response to this virus are linked. i know some will argue that the house passed $633 million. the senate passed $1.2 million. they'll go to congress. but i'm talking specifically this financial crisis and puerto rico's problem. given the financial situation on the island, there are grave concerns about the commonwealth's ability to handle an outbreak of the virus. already there are over 1,000 local cases of zika in puerto rico. to put that in perspective, there are today just over 600 cases in the continental united states, and nearly all of those are travel related. as we move further into the summer and into the mosquito

season, i fear that what is already a fiscal crisis could turn into a growing health crisis as the economically stressed island will be left with little resources to deal with the virus and a congress that is unwilling to adequately fund a response. these wage and overtime provisions will do nothing but increase poverty and force more puerto ricans to leave the island. this bill may take steps to the right -- to right the puerto rican economy which is currently in shambles but at what cost? treating the young and the workers of puerto rico as second and third-class citizens? with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from alabama is recognized. mr. byrne: thank you, mr. speaker. the gentleman from florida, my

colleague on the rules committee, brings up two very important issues. indeed, nothing in this bill would require people to pay the subminimum wage. it simply allows it. it provides it as an alternative, and i think this is a situation where i think puerto rico will need all the alternatives to have at its disposal to deal with a devastating fiscal problem and a devastating economic problem which is the second point he brought up. when you have a breakdown in the economy as you've got and breakdown in the government as we got in puerto rico, what it does is have dramatic effects in other parts of society. we're seeing breakdowns in their hospitals and education for that matter. so the best way we can address health care problems, whether it's zika or something else, or the other myriad of problems resulted from this, is get this bill passed and get puerto rico on the road to recovery both fiscally and economically. i heard my friend's comments. i understand them. the best way to get where we're

trying to go is give puerto rican people the most options we can to deal with this problem and also get them on the road as quickly as we can. and that's what the bill is designed to do. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i'm pleased to yield two minutes to congressman peer louie cease, who really knows puerto rico, in light of the fact that he's the congressman representing puerto rico. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. pierluisi: thank you, congressman hastings. in the last year and a half this congress has held nine hear option puerto rico a u.s. territory home to 3.4 million american citizens. this hearing -- these hearings confirmed that puerto rico is in jeopardy right now. not next year, now.

island residents are relocated -- relocating to the states in record number. the puerto rican government is on the brink of collapse. a victim of decades of inequality at the federal level and mismanagement at the local level. the government and its instrumentalities have $70 billion in debt, three public entities on the island have defaulted on payment os creditors and larger defaults appear imminent. puerto rico's three main pension systems are severely underfunded, placing at risk their retirement security of other 330,000 individuals. the government of puerto rico has lost access to the credit markets, so we cannot borrow money to meet current obligations. all objective observers, including virtually every major editorial board in the nation, understand that the government of puerto rico must restructure its debts.

ideally through voluntary agreements with creditor, but through a court supervised process if necessary. it is regrettable that we have reached this point. but it is reality. we must confront this challenge with courage and candor. this gives puerto rico the tool it currently lacks, namely a legal mechanism to restructure its debts in an orderly way, ensuring that sacrifice will be shared in a fair and equitable manner. without promesa, the puerto rican government is likely to collapse. participants in pension plans will be damaged. absent this bill, almost nobody wins and nearly everybody loses. now, promesa appears debt restructuring authority with the

creation of an independent oversight board to help the puerto rican government better manage its public finances, balance its budgets, become more efficient and transparent, and regain access to the credit markets. there are some puerto rico politicians who seek broad debt restructuring authority from congress, but oppose an oversight board. this is not a realistic option. and would result in puerto rico receiving nothing. i fully understand the importance of democracy and dignity. as a lifelong advocate for statehood for puerto rico, i want full democratic rights for the island on both the national and local level. not fewer democratic rights. my test from day one has been that the board should have the authority to oversee but not to command and control the government of puerto rico. promesa meets this test. after intensive negotiations, the bill establishes a

reasonable board with powers far less potent than the powers established for the district of columbia in 1995. if the puerto rico government does its job well, the board will have limited role and will cease to operate within a few years. promesa, like any product of bipartisan compromise is not perfect. for instance, the minimum wage provision is deeply misguided and i support the amendment to remove it from the bill. i'll explain it in plain language. it makes no sense to apply a different federal minimum wage to puerto rico because it simply encourages puerto ricans to migrate to the states. or otherwise not to seek a job and rely on government assistance. nevertheless, i should say that there is almost zero chance this provision will affect a single worker in puerto rico since the local government will retain the

ability to prevent its use. this bill is the best chance we have to solve the immediate fiscal crisis in puerto rico and to place the island on the path to a brighter future. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from alabama is recognized. mr. byrne: thank you and i appreciate the remarks of the gentleman from puerto rico. i hope he was in the house when he heard the words that i said that everybody in this house stands with the people of puerto rico. our hearts go out to them. this is a very difficult situation he used a very strong phrase , he said they're on the brink of collapse. and i agree with my friend from florida new york one would know better about this than the gentleman from puerto rico. we want to keep them from collapsing. now, there are many of us on this side that would rather do nothing, but we understand that there has to be some responsibility here. so this effort is an effort to exercise responsibility in a fiscally sound way and i believe that's what this does.

the gentleman's remarks. it's time for us to act. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, when came to congress in 1993, among the first people i met and got to know and have been fast friends with since, is the gentleman from illinois , my good friend who also has not only great wisdom in the subject of immigration and social policies in this country, but certainly is understanding of puerto rico. i'm pleased to yield five minutes to the gentleman from illinois, mr. gutierrez. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. gutierrez: thank you so much. mr. speaker, i rise in opposition to the rule and to the underlying bill. i submitted 10 amendments for consideration, not one of them,

not one of my amendments was ruled in order to be debated today by my colleagues. but i don't oppose the bill because i didn't get an amendment in here. the fact that my amendments were deemed unsuitable for debate by the congress of the united states is an indication of the underlying problems with the bill. to you can't debate the future of puerto rico here in the congress of the united states, imagine when you give it to meet ed people that can in secret. they can meet in secret without informing office any one of their decisions. if we can't have a debate about puerto rico, if it's so important, why not take time to have a debate about the amendments that are offered by people here? we're engaged today in a wholly undemocratic activity in the world's greatest democracy. we're debating how to take power from the people who are virtually powerless already.

as i have said throughout this debate, puerto rico by virtue of court cases and the territorial clause of the constitution, belongs to but is not a part of the united states. i say to all of my colleagues, treat them with dignity, with respect, do not put blinders on as though they do not exist. yes, the territorial clause of the constitution of the united states says that they are territory and therefore property of the united states of america. but i submit to each and every one of you that they are live human beings. with hearts, with souls. and should demand an receive the -- and receive the respect of any other human being. don't treat them like a piece of trash. don't treat them like an inanimate object that has no right to dignity or respect which is what we are doing here today. ky in the vote for this. president obama referred to the

special place that kenya owns in his heart because he says, it will always be a special place because that is the place of the birth of my father. he says. let me submit to you, puerto rico is the place of the birth of my father. and i cannot come here and turn my back on the place of the birth of my father with this outrageously undemocratic and this outrageously unfair proposal to the people of puerto rico. think about it. you are imposing a junta, that's what they're calling it. there will be no difference between this junta and the junta pinochet in chile as far as the international community is concerned. and why? because yesterday, and the speaker of the house of puerto rico is in the fwalry, they approved a resolution rejecting this junta, elected by the people of puerto rico. what does the congress of the united states, the democracy of

the world say? we don't care. today as we speak, the senate in puerto rico has a resolution rejecting and just this past sunday, every candidate for governor in puerto rico, every last candidate for governor in puerto rico that was successful had in their platform a rejection of promesa. how many times do the people of puerto rico have to reject this proposal so that the congress of the united states treats them with some respect and some dignity. and i just want to say, control board? when is the last control board we know so much about? flint, michigan. what did the control board do? they poisoned the people, american citizens , in flint. and let me suggest to you that if you give power to a control board unelected, and unsupervised, by anyone here, be careful. be careful. remember flint.

remember the poisoning of the people and what the control board did there. that is exactly what we should suspect will happen. unless we put -- people say, oh, luis, what's your alternative. our alternative is quite simple. have a conversation. not a conversation that begins, we will in the spend a penny on the people of puerto rico. that's the way our conversation begins. we will not. you have to show me a solution in which we do not spend a penny. let me tell you, we spend money. the jones act. imposed on the people of puerto rico. -- imposed on the people of puerto rico the most expensive merchant marine in the world. costs $500 million a year. why don't we lift that from them. we believe in democracy, believe they should be free, why not lift them. medicaid and medicare, have you seen the reimbursement schedules in puerto rico? they pay the same in fica tax same don't get the

reimbursement in 2006, the wisdom of the congress was to say to puerto rico, we don't care that you're going to lose thousands and thousands of jobs, we're going to eliminate the section of the report that created jobs. the people of puerto rico want jobs and they want the dignity and respect that comes with being a citizen of this nation. mr. hastings: i yield the gentleman another minute. mr. gutierrez thk they don't come here on their knee. er that proud people. they are a people who want to use their creativity and their energy. this congress of the united states has said they're a colony. i didn't say that. the committee on natural resources says, we have plenary powers over the people of puerto rico. i didn't say that. you said that. if you have plenary powers over the people of puerto rico, assume the responsibility that comes with those plenary powers over the people of puerto rico. and please don't tell me you're going to put puerto ricans on the board. i lived in puerto rico.

i remember when the sugar cane cutters would cut the sugar cane. there were puerto ricans in charge of exploiting those workers in the sugar cane fields. there have been many times in history when the same people have been put in charge to exploit their own. give us dignity, give us transparency, do it at least in the spanish language so the people can know what's going on in their own. at least king george, when he would come with his decree, before he burned the building dun, would write his decree in english so we'd understand what he was doing. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. members are reminded not to refer to guests in the gallery. the gentleman is recognized. mr. byrne: i yield four minutes to the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. sensenbrenner. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minute. mr. intensen brenner: i visited puerto rico and believe me when i say the fiscal crisis they are facing is a crisis.

hospitals can't pay their bills. they have closed wings in the hospitals. one hospital is $4 million in debt because they haven't paid an electric bill. some people will point out that this is largely a crisis of puerto rico's own making. they're right. the gentleman from illinois is wrong. puerto rico has had internal self-government for over 50 years. it wasn't the congress that forced puerto rico to pile up debt after debt after debt after debt. and it wasn't the congress that tapped puerto rico on the shoulder until now and said, you can't sustain this debt. there already have been two defaults. there's a $2 billion default coming on the first of july. because they don't have the money to even do their debt ervice. despite this dire situation, the puerto rican government has increased its spending on

everything, except ironically, debt service. and i see what's happening in puerto rico as a cautionary tale for us who are in washington and in the congress of the united tates. promesa is not rewarding bad behavior. if we wanted to reward bad behavior, we would pay billions of dollars in a taxpayer financed bailout. to finance all of this irresponsible borrowing that has een going on in puerto rico. significantly, this bill does not commit one penny of taxpayer funds to bail out puerto rico. the fiscal oversight board is designed to help puerto ricans set their finances in order when they have failed to do so by themselves. now, let me say something, i heard the gentleman from illinois talk about us treating

puerto rico as a colony. that's not been the case mr. munoz, the legendary governor of puerto rico, persuaded this congress to give puerto rico internal self-government. what's happened here is internal self-government has failed, and that's why we're talking about this today. i don't think many of my constituents in wisconsin or mr. duffy's constituents, or chairman bishop's constituents really were concerned about puerto rico, but we were, and we stepped up to the plate and offered a solution that has attracted bipartisan support and the support of the administration. what do we hear from the opponents of this piece of legislation, one of whom just spoke very eloquently? it's wrong, it's bad. we shouldn't do that. we're ignoring the people of puerto rico.

well, we're not doing that. we're making sure in this bill that the pain is shared. if this bill doesn't pass, there's no plan b. and puerto rico is going to collapse into an economic morass . there is no plan b. i haven't heard anything from those who are opposed to this bill on what their alternative is. they have had a year to come up with their alternative, and all they do is making fiery speeches against what has been a very long and patient negotiated process. they are not a part of the solution, they are trying to engender more opposition and they are a part of the problem. pass this rule, pass this bill, let's get puerto rico back on track. and this is a way to do it with some help from the oversight

board. puerto ricans are going to have to do this themselves. they haven't been able to do it without a tap on the shoulder. too bad there is an oversight board, but that's the only game in town. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, through you i will advise my friend from alabama that i have no further speakers and i'm prepared to close whenever he is. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida reserves. the gentleman from alabama is recognized. mr. byrne: mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to another gentleman from wisconsin, the sponsor of this bill, mr. duffy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized for five minutes. mr. duffy: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the gentleman from alabama for yielding. it's a fascinating debate where two sides of the political aisle have come together at the start from very different vantage points on how to help puerto rico but have consistently worked together to find a

compromise that all of us think is going to leave puerto rico better off than it is today. and i heard the gentleman from illinois in his fiery remarks talking about dignity and respect for the people of puerto rico. he was saying that people in puerto rico are being treated like trash. the economic stats are staggering of what's happening in puerto rico. unemployment rate, it's double that of the mainland. labor participation rate is 20 points lower than the national average. and thousands of people every month are leaving the island because there is not enough economic opportunity. if you want to talk about dignity and respect, look at the poverty on the island. look at the despair on the island where you have families that are being separated because

they have no jobs, they can't live in their neighborhood, in their communities with their families because they can't find an opportunity. they have to go somewhere else. that's not dignity. that's not respect. so this congress has come together with a unified voice to come up with a package that can actually get puerto rico on an economic path to prosperity. listen, i would love if we can say, the puerto rican government, you guys have to do a bert job of managing your debt. -- better job of managing your debt. guess what? it's been a failure of $73 billion in debt. they can't get their hands around it. the people have lost from us in the government -- have lost trust in the government. so they are saying we want congress tookt. we want congress to do something. congress, the u.s. please step in, help us out.

they oppose an oversight board, they are not opposed to assist tell to restructure puerto rican debt. a system that, by the way, makes sure that the bondholders of puerto rican debt will bear the loss not the american taxpayer, because i think this institution believes that we should have the bondholders bear that loss instead of the american taxpayer. we don't believe in capitalism on the way up where you get all the rewards of your investment in bonds, but socialism on the way down. if you lose the investment, the taxpayer bails you out. that's not what we believe in. when i hear opponents who talk about their fathers being born in puerto rico and them wanting to die in puerto rico, i love the passion, i love the fire. but you have to have a heart. and look at what's happening on the island and look at a commonsense, bipartisan solution where you have the president of the united states, the treasury,

the gentleman from puerto rico, mr. pierluisi, who has been masterful in helping to make sure we stay on target. we understand what's going on in the island. we understand what will work and what won't work. that we have come together, two different parties. the speaker of the puerto rican house engaging with us on how we're going to fix the island. one quick last point. this is about debt restructuring. this is about getting the finances in order. but this also has to be about economic growth. you won't have a recovery until you have economic growth. we innocent investment on the island -- we incent investment on the island. though we haven't done enough. there is still more to do. both sides have committed to making sure we come up with a strategy and plan to make sure we have investment in puerto rico so there is more opportunity, jobs, tax revenue, and prosperity for the puerto rican people. i'm proud of the work this house has done on this bill. the different sides, different views, different opinions that have come together to make this bill happen.

i would encourage everyone to support the rule and later today support this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin yields back. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i continue to advise that i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is prepared to close. the gentleman from alabama is recognized. mr. byrne: i have no further people to speak. i would yield to my friend from florida over there for him to close and i'll close after him. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alabama reserves. the gentleman from florida is recognized to close debate for the minority. mr. hastings: thank you very much, mr. speaker. there is no doubt the people of puerto rico find themselves in a dire situation. and there is no doubt that this situation has been made worse by the snail's pace with which the majority has seen fit to address the problems facing the people of puerto rico. though the restructuring of

puerto rico's debt is certainly needed, i worry that the burdens placed upon the residents of the sland through this bill really only amount to punting on important issues that we will nonetheless have to address somewhere down the road while making these important issues all the more complicated when we do get to the business of actually helping of the people of puerto rico. i urge a no vote on the rule, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida yields back. the gentleman from alabama is recognized to close debate on this legislation. mr. byrne: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the remarks of my friend from florida. this is a tough issue, there is no question about it. there are many of us that don't really understand how we got to this point. i have been trying to do some digging about that. the truth of the matter is is

that the people in the federal government who were supposed to be looking over this and watching puerto rico and making sure that things be done appropriately, under the law with the president of the united states and treasury department, and they failed. now, they failed in watching the situation and raising the alarm for the rest of us, let's make no mistake about it. the people of puerto rico elected governments and those governments that had home rule authority made decisions that have put this island, as we just heard, on the brink of collapse, because they spent money they didn't have and they racked up debt they can't way back. -- pay back. let's just stop and think for a minute. where are we going in the united states of america? we're spending money we don't have, and we're racking up debt that there may come a day for our country as it is for puerto rico that we won't be able to pay back. and then we as the united states of america will be on the brink

of collapse. perhaps we should learn a lesson here that the decisions we make in this house about the future of the united states of america, those decisions could lead to the very same result for our country that we see for puerto rico. my heart goes out to the people of puerto rico. they are suffering. and the suffering will get worse if we do not act. the sponsor of the bill used two phrases with regard to this legislation that really struck me. he said it's common sense and bipartisan. isn't it a good thing that we have common sense legislation that's bipartisan? isn't that what the people of the united states of america send us here to do? let's come together as one house, with one voice, help the people of puerto rico, and then together sit down and learn the

lesson of what's happened here so that we don't repeat those mistakes for our country and end up with the united states of america on the brink of collapse. i yield back the balance of my time and i move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has yielded back. and moved the previous question. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. mr. byrne: mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays have been requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this for what purpose does the

gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, by direction of the committee on rule, i call up resolution 771 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar 173, house resolution 771. resolved, that at any time after adoption of this resolution the speaker may, pursuant to clause 2-b of rule 18, declare the house resolved into the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of the bill, h.r. 5325, making appropriations for the legislative branch for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2017, and for other purposes.

the first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. general debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations. after general debate, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. the bill shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule 21 are waived. no amendment to the bill shall be in order except those printed in the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution. each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall

not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the house or in the committee of the whole. all points of order against such amendments are waived. at the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the committee shall rise and report the bill to the house with such amendments as may have been adopted. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 2, during consideration of h.r. 5325 pursuant to this resolution, section 3304 of senate concurrent resolution 11 shall not apply. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i raise a point of order against house resolution 771 because the resolution violates section 426, subsection a, of the congressional budget act. the resolution, in waiving all

points of order in consideration of the bill, waives section 425 of the congressional budget act, thereby causing a violation of section 426-a. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas makes a point of order that the resolution violates section 426-a of the congressional budget act of 19 4. the gentleman has met the threshold burden under the rule and the gentleman from texas and a member opposed each will control 10 minutes of debate on the question of consideration. following debate the chair will put the question of consideration as the statutory means of disposing of the point of order. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. castro: thank you, mr. speaker. this year's appropriations process has been rocky, to say the least. that trend is poised to continue this evening and tomorrow as the house considers fiscal year 2017 leng slative appropriations bill. buried in this bill's committee report is controversial language that forces the library of

congress to continue using the derogatory term illegal alien in its subject heading. mr. speaker, i'll explain the background on this issue. last month, the lie brear of congress announced proposed changes to its subject headings that would replace the term aliens with noncitizens and replace the term illegal alien with noncitizens, and unauthorized immigration. it's not unusual for the library of congress to make changes to its subject headings. in fact, each year it makes thousands of such changes. in 2015 alone, there were 4,934 new subject headings that were added. an example of one such change at the -- that the library has made in the past was to replace the word negro with a less offensive word. this sort of evolution of the library's subject head sgs not unprecedented by any stretch of the imagination. however, what is unprecedented

is congress' weighing in on the changes. in fact, the library has confirmed that this is the first time that congress will have legislated on any of its subject headings in the history of the library of kuok. so never before in hist -- of congress. so never before in history has the congress communicated with the library of congress about its subject headings, let alone introduced legislation concerning them. with this bill, that's all about to change. house republicans are poised to make history by, for the first time ever, interfering in the library of congress' subject heading process to preserve a prejudicial term. i'm not going to lump everybody on the other side of the aisle together on this issue. when this bill was marked up in the appropriations committee, ranking member wasserman schultz introduced an -- wasserman schultz introduced an amendment to remove the alien language from the committee's report and four republicans in the committee joined democrats to vote in favor of that measure

and the amendment only failed by one vote. so there is bipartisan consensus on this matter and it deserves debate and a vote in the full house of representatives. so that all of us can take a vote where for the first time, again, this is the first time in its history where the congress is legislating on a subject heading of the library of congress, and it is to force the library of congress to continue using the word illegal alien, rather than allowing them to do their job and as they were considering doing, retire that term. yesterday, three amendments were presented to the rules committee that would allow this to occur. astoundingly, the rules committee rejected all three of those amendments, in other words, they would have allowed us to debate this and take a vote on it, but the rules committee rejected all three of these amendments, preventing a vote on this issue on the house

floor. now, as i mentioned before, mr. speaker, the language in the committee report that has sparked this debate refers to a portion of u.s. code that contains the term alien. i have introduced legislation that would remove alien from u.s. code in instances where it refers to immigrants to this nation. my bill, which is h.r. 3785, the change act, would replace the terms alien and illegal alien in federal law with the terms foreign national and undocumented foreign national. and let me be clear about why i'm doing that. first, these folks may not be american citizens, but they are human beings. they are not people from outer space. and when we think of the term alien, we don't think of human beings well, think of people that are from somewhere else. the word illegal alien has also been used oftentimes, though not by everyone, in a pejorative way in a way that is meant to be

pejorative and offensive. it stigmatizes immigrants in this nation and diminishes the quality of discussion around immigration issues in the united states. when ugly, belittling names are used to describe groups of people, those terms can make discrimination seem ok. there is precedent for changing language in our laws as words' meanings evolve over time. so for example, our federal code previously included the terms lunatic and mentally retarded. those words have since been taken out. and just last month, president obama signed into a law a bill that i believe we can all be proud of, which was introduced by my colleague, congresswoman grace mention of new york that removes the terms oriental and negro from federal code. it is also time for alien to be added to the list of words we remove from federal code. so i urge my colleagues, both republican and democrat, to stand up for the dignity of all people who call america home and

vote in favor of the change act. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. woodall: i rise to claim time in opposition to the point of order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. woodall: i understand that my friend has great passion on this issue and what i love about this chamber is it allows people to come and express their passions. but i serve on the rules committee. the rule committees has original jurisdiction of the unfunded mandate point of order. it's designed to prevent congress from imposing unfunded mandates, rule this is a we're not going to pay for, on outside institutions. state governments, local governments, tribal governments. by definition, this is the legislative branch appropriations bill. it funds the library of congress. we are absolutely funding what this bill is asking to do. to debate the merits of the underlying language is a legitimate debate.

but to use this point of order, which is almost a textbook definition of what this point of order does not apply to is a dilatory tactic and i would ask that we vote to dispense with that, oppose this point of order and get on to the underlying legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. castro: could i inquire how much time i have he re-maining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 4 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. castro: i would make two points. the first, this is an unfunned mandate because the library of congress was well on its way to changing this term. now, congress is instructing it that it cannot do that. there is no way that money is not spent in following the instruction of congress. so i disagree with the gentleman, this is an unfunded mandate. to the issue itself, there was no argument from the other side that these words are pejorative.

that these words and this language, that this word is an anachronism and by the way, mr. speaker, this word applies is used in federal code and applies to people that are here who are undocumented and also people who are here legally who are residents. and so this is not only an issue of the undocumented. this is an issue of immigrants, generally. and you know, i know that over the years, ours has been a very devout nation a nation of faith, and that includes many of the people in this body. i, for example, have had an opportunity to visit with the faith study group that meets once a week that talk about the issues of their own personal faith and their own journeys. and the work that they do for their constituents. and as i think about my own

district, which is 64% hispanic in san antonio, it's a town whose creativity and entrepreneurism and spirit has been infused by the immigrant spirit. these are hard working, often humble people who don't ask for much from their government. who work hard to provide for their families. who hardly ever will be heard to complain. most of them obviously are documented. some are not. but those who are not and those who are considered resident aliens, those people are human beings. and i believe that our faith would tell us that god considers those folks human beings, not illegals. i don't imagine that god thinks of those people as illegal. they are fundamental hi human beings and they should be respected. they're not american citizens. we understand that. and there has been much debate

over the last few years about passing comprehensive immigration reform or at least considering it here on the house floor. that hasn't happened yet. but i do think that each of us can at least extend some modicum of respect to these people. with that, mr. speaker, i call on my colleagues to join me in voting for the change act and i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas has yielded back. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. woodall: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume to say again, i applaud my friend for coming down here and speaking on the underlying bill. i think it's very important that we have the conversations that we will have on the underlying bill. but it's also important in the name of good government to use these point of orders for the purpose these point of orders were intended to be used. the library of congress cannot spend one penny except for those

dollars provided in the underlying legislation. yes, the underlying legislation has mandates for the library of congress but those mandates are funned because that's the only way the library of congress can be funded. this is an incredibly important point of order, mr. speaker. the power that we have in this body to dictate the state, local, and tribal governments what they must do and then refuse to pay the bill is a dangerous practice that this institution recognized and created this point of order to avoid. i hope my friends on both sides of the aisle will continue to bring up unfunded mandate points of order when they are applicable. but i implore my colleagues, do not take a vote to suggest that a point of order designed to prevent us from putting unfunded costs on local governments should apply when we're funding the responsibilities of the federal government.

that perverts the intent and it undermines our ability to use this point of order effectively in the future. with that, mr. speaker, i urge us to allow the house to continue our business for the day, vote yes on the question of consideration of the resolution. and i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time for debate on the point of order has expired. the question is will the house consider the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the question of consideration is decided -- mr. castro: mr. speaker. i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas has requested the yeas and nays. the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the

united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 231 the nays are 170. the question is -- the question of consideration is decided in the affirm ty. without objection, the motion to reconsider is -- in the affirmative. without objection, the motion to

reconsider is laid on the table. he house will come to order. will all members please remove their conversations from the floor. the house will please come to order. without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table and the gentleman from georgia, for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. woodall: by direction they have committee on rules -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one hour.

mr. woodall: durgs consideration of this resolution, all time is yielded for the purpose of debate only but i would like to yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend from florida, mr. hastings, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. woodall: i also ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the house will please come to order so we may proceed. will members please remove their conversations from the floomplet the gentleman from georgia may proceed. mr. woodall: thank you, mr. speaker. the buzz you hear around this chamber, i suspect is enthusiasm for the underlying bill. this is leg branch appropriations bill for f.y. 201 and it's the single piece of legislation that enables all the constituent service that goes on from this institution. i want to say that again.

not one act of constituent service would go on anywhere in this country but for this underlying text. it's the subcommittee on leg branch led by my friend and colleague from georgia, cardinal tom graves. and they do great work in the leg branch subcommittee, mr. speaker. it's no surprise. anybody this chamber that the appropriations committee -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is correct. the house will please come to order. will members please remove their onversations from the floor. the gentleman from georgia may proceed. mr. woodall: it's no surprise to my of my colleagues that the committee has been working on what they're required to pass each year. getting that done as a body has been spotty. but the success of our committee

at getting that done has been historic. even more, unlike many bill this is a come to this floor, the appropriations committee has said you know what, we do the very best we can do, but we welcome the input and counsel from our colleagues. because we all have different experiences. we all come from different parts of the country, we all have something to add. so this bill, mr. speaker, makes in order 13 different amendments. seven offered by republicans, six offered by democrats. so that we can improve this bill, discuss this bill even more. among the top line items in bill, mr. speaker is funding for our chapple to police. no more so than -- for our capitol police. no more so than this year have we had the capitol police on our mind. the service those men and women provide is indispensable to this chamber. it is valuable to us, it is valuable to our constituents who

visit this chamber each and every day. it's valuable to the families of those who -- to the families who send their loved ones here to work every day. it's valuable to the capitol. we talked about spending reductions and trying to be responsible. i'm so proud of the spending record in terms of those reductions on inefficient programs that this chamber has generated. but we have priceless, priceless american treasures right here in this building. i recall when you could see the water running down from the capitol dome, destroying -- the speaker pro tempore: the house will please come to order. members will please remove their onversations from the floor. the house will please come to order. the gentleman may proceed. mr. woodall: thank you, mr. speaker. destroying those precious american historical treasures. this bill funds the architect of the capitol so we're not penny

wise and pound foolish in terms of our obligation to attend to america's treasures. and this bill funds the government accountability office, mr. speaker. i dare say, there's not a member of congress in this institution that hasn't had a constituent ask about a g.a.o. report. that hasn't had occasion on their own to ask our auditing agency, our accounting office, to do a study of the best ways to use our resources to make use of the limited resources that we have. they provide an incredibly valuable, nonpartisan service so we can do the very best for our constituents back home. and mr. speaker, i'll tell you that this bill is funded at a level that's -- that's lower than the level was when i arrived in this chamber, that's lower than the level was in 2009 and 2010. i think that's important. i think thrift really does begin at home. thrift really does begin at home. throughout every year that i've been in this institution, i'm

now in year five, every year i've been in this institution, we've absolutely gone after inefficient programs elsewhere in the government. we've absolutely tried to make a difference in curbing that tidal wave of debt that threatens the next generation. but we have started here in each and every bill. mr. speaker, folks don't know it. the newspapers always carry the stories of excess on chill. i don't know where they find those excess -- on capitol hill. i don't know where they find those excess stories. i will tell you the allotment of spending for my office, with all the constituent services we do, is less than was allotted 10 years ago. inflation co-roads it. the job market erodes it. time and time again those dollars buy less as every american family knows. but we have committed ourselves, as an institution, doing more with less, thrift beginning at home. there's a modest increase in

this bill from last cycle to deal with those issues like our capitol police. like the library of congress. like preservation of the capitol. i support all of those. underlying measures. i support the rule by which we're bringing this measure here. 13 amendments are made available by this rule. if we pass the rule, we will then move to the underlying bill, vote on those 13 amendments, and move to final passage. with that, i urge all my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying bill and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. hastings: most respectfully, mr. speaker, i ask that the house be made in order. the speaker pro tempore: there are conversations on the minority side, would you please give respect to your colleague, mr. hastings. come to order.

the gentleman from florida may proceed. mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my friend, the gentleman from georgia, mr. woodall for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate. this legislation, as he indicated, provides $3.48 billion for the house of representatives and joint operations of congress. that is a $73 million increase over the current year's levels. but more than $150 million below the president's request. this legislation funds the salaries and expenses for the house of representatives, the capitol police, the congressional budget office, the architect of the capitol, government accountability office, and the library of congress. today is june 9.

nearly two months have passed since my friends in the majority sailed past the statutory deadline for passing a budget without even looking back. nearly one month has passed since house republicans began considering an appropriations bill without first agreeing to top line spending levels. republicans made passing a budget a top priority this year. they insisted that we would return to regular order. i really wish the american public understood the irregular -- the regular order concept. yet here we are, working woupt a road map, and instead passing new rules to stifle debate on the house floor, on controversial issues like equal rights. but i'll get to that in a bit, mr. speaker. for now, i'll just say it's